summer

Make your home bright & cosy during a British summer

So, summer’s here and we’ve swapped out the cosy woollen blankets for lightweight linens, stashed our candles in a drawer somewhere and rid the entire house of fairy lights… right? Well, actually, not quite…

The problem is, for those of us who live in Britain and Ireland, summer rarely arrives in all its sunshine-y, blisteringly hot glory. Most years it’s a succession of rainy or cloudy days, interspersed with the odd period of warmth. However, just because the heating’s gone back on, it doesn’t necessarily mean we want to curl up and hibernate under a furry throw once again. (Ok, there are possibly exceptions to this rule!)

It’s easy to adopt the Danish concept of hygge all winter long when we can light the fire and wrap up, however on a dreary summer’s day (and yes, we all know how depressingly common those are), how do we create a bright and cosy feeling when it’s not that cold outside, just grey and wet? Here are a few tips you can try at home to help lift the spirits when you’re shut up indoors on a rainy summer weekend…

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An early summer garden update + jobs for June

It’s a while since I wrote a gardening-related post on here, however, a number of you told me recently this was a particular subject of interest at this time of year, so I thought I’d give you a look at my garden in June. I wrote a May gardening post last year, so hop over to that if you want to see how the garden looked a year ago…

We moved to our current home around 2 1/2 years ago, so this is the third spring/summer season for us in the garden and pretty much being complete novices, it really has taken this long for us to better understand the general workings of the garden, the names and habits of the various plants and the jobs needing done at various points during the gardening year.

So, I’d like to spread a little knowledge and share what I’ve learnt in the process of taking on and maintaining a mature garden – I hope you enjoy!

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A Scandi-Inspired Outdoor Overhaul

With May bank holiday fast approaching, there is surely no better time to get outside and spruce up your outdoor space, however with the vast number of garden and patio products to choose from, it can be a mind-blowing task in itself simply deciding what direction to take your outdoor styling in. There are so many gorgeous trends to choose from, yet you want your outdoor area to be an extension of your own home, to have a natural flow between indoors and out.

It was when I was shopping around for my own garden, that I was approached by Wayfair UK to take part in their ‘Outdoor Overhaul’ campaign. As one of their ‘home expert’ team, they asked me to come up with a number of mood board designs for my outdoor space using products from their vast online range….

Summer Dining with Amara Living

May has arrived in all its glory here and across the country, patio tables and chairs have been dusted down, or in some cases, entirely stripped and repainted (you can get carried away when the sun shines), and friends invited over for impromptu barbecues and drinks in the garden. It’s fabulous!

I was planning a patio tidy up myself recently, when Amara Living got in touch asking me to take a look at some of their summer dining collection. As a blogger, I had initially heard of Amara as they host the IBAs (Interior Blog Awards), however if you haven’t come across them before, they are an über stylish homes and lifestyle store, housing over 300 of the world’s most luxurious home fashion brands, including Orla Kiely, Missoni Home, Ralph Lauren, HAY and Bloomingville, to name but a few. Amara have evolved since their inception in 2005 to build on their brand and product range, however quality of service and luxury style remain at their core and their website definitely reflects this.

Here are some products I want to show you in all their summery loveliness…

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How to Create a Cool + Cosy Outdoor Space

Well folks, May Day weekend is almost upon us and despite the recent cooler climes we’ve all been exposed to over the last little while, I’m told that warmer weather is on its way, so I thought it was the perfect time for a brief garden-related post. Specifically, I want to share some ideas with you on how you can spend some time over the long weekend getting your outdoor patio area or yard summer-ready. As long as it’s been given a quick clean up and the boring jobs such as power washing slabs and giving the lawn its first cut are out of the way, these are the fun touches you can accomplish in time for your first al fresco soiree with friends or simply a glass of vino and a book on a clear evening. Aah, how I love summer!

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Home Decor Trends 2016: Bring the Botanical Look Home

Following on from last year, the trend for all things green and leafy is still going strong, with homewares in Spring/Summer 2016 collections loudly emblazoned with botanical prints, lush foliage, tropical fruits and birds of paradise. Never thought you’d own a pineapple shaped lamp base? Well, think again! This look is centred around bringing the outdoors in and embracing Mother Nature in all her beautiful forms.

However, even if this trend seems a little too ‘out there’ for you, it can be brought into the home, or indeed garden, in a subtle way, too – a few botanical print cushions can make a bright and cheerful addition to any patio set, as can some colourful picnic ware. Indoors, how about using a softer print on a smaller scale, such as on a roman blind within a small window, or create an element of surprise with a patterned lampshade on a hall console table. It will brighten up any entranceway!

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Summer Sales Edit: How to find the best bargains

It’s the perfect time of year to get out there and peruse the summer homeware sales whilst there are still bargains aplenty to be had. I have tried to take the weary slog out of sales shopping for you with a wee round up of some of the better bargains still there for the taking. However, should you decide to take yourself off to snap up some cut price must-haves for the home, remember a few key points to make your sales shopping a success…

1) Don’t fall into the trap of buying something solely because it’s a real bargain. Do consider how much you really love an item for what it is and how it will work in your home, whether it will sit well within your general home decor style and, for slightly pricier items, is it a timeless design that will still please you in years to come? There’s no sense in buying that brightly patterned turquoise set of designer cushions at this late-ish stage in the summer only for them to be packed away again during the colder months in favour of your darker, autumnal homewares, and not brought out next Spring because you decide you really do prefer lemon yellow after all…

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Backyard Summer Styling Inspiration

Summer is literally right around the corner (although here in Ireland you’d hardly know it), but nevertheless I thought a post about how to sort out your outdoor space would come in handy for all that summer entertaining we all plan to do when the weather heats up a little.

For those of us who live in towns and cities, outdoor space comes at a premium and often we can struggle trying to make the most of what space we have. However, whether it’s a square of decking, a few slabs of patio or a patch of grass that you have, these styling ideas will be sure to inspire you to make that space a wonderfully inviting and functional area….

Home Trends to Dip Into: Summer 2015

We might have been bombarded with four seasons in one day here lately (it’s seriously freezing out there), but this has simply made me more determined to bring a touch of summer sunshine into the home! The high street homeware departments are now full of uplifting and zingy ideas to help you haul your home out of the dark, woolly depths of winter and into the summer sunshine. However, do not fear! A complete design overhaul of your interior will not be required; just a few thoughtful touches such as a new rug, colourful cushions, some pretty cups or glassware will reinvigorate your love for your home.

So, what are the key trends for Summer 2015 and how can we mould them into our existing décor? …